Bogota.- At least 239 people lost their lives and 3,755 suffered injuries due to the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Colombia on Monday, according to data released this Wednesday by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
The powerful earthquake, which had its epicenter in the town of San José del Palmar (west), in the Chocó department, located in the Pacific region, also leaves 287 people missing so far and 24,324 families affected, according to data available 48 hours after the earthquake.
In turn, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched an emergency appeal this Wednesday for 25 million Swiss francs (30 million dollars) to expand support for the Colombian Red Cross following the earthquake that struck the west of the country on Monday.
The funds seek to strengthen local response capacity and support approximately 24,000 people over the next 24 months, the IFRC indicated in a statement.
Shortly after the earthquake occurred, the IFRC already approved an allocation of one million Swiss francs (1.2 million dollars) from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund.
